


Chances

by orphan_account



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: #arthuristotallyintomerlin, #gay, #igotbored???, #justkissalready, #love, #merlinissuchaflirt, #merlinistheoneandonlysassmaster, #merther, #tired, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-10-28 02:40:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10822038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Arthur Pendragon is an A+ student, captain of the soccer team, a star athlete, a gorgeous model, and the most sought-after boy in the whole of his school. Merlin is a loner, who never really talks to anyone except Gwen, his only friend. No one knows much about the dark-haired boy, other than he's a troublemaker. But when Arthur gets stuck with Merlin for a school project, will the two become friends, or, will they become enemies?(This is set in a high school AU)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea during physics today, and I decided to give it a go.

Arthur sat at his desk in his bedroom, his pen scrawling across the page, his blond hair falling into his eyes. He was almost finished with his english assignment, and then he could be free for the afternoon. At least, until his father called for him to do something. Sighing, he set his pen down, looking down at his work. His writing was neat, organized, just like his father's assistant, Natalia, taught him when he was younger.

"You must be organized, neat, or else people will judge you harshly," she'd said. Arthur remembered that, among other things, from when he was homeschooled. Now, however, he was in his senior year of high school. When he was a freshmen, he was allowed to attend public school. He enjoyed every bit of it, and still did. He was captain of the soccer team, and the school's star athlete. He was also a model, but that was only when his father decided to book the shoots. He had all A's, which his father was very pleased about. Though it wasn't as if he would accept anything less, not without punishment. Arthur learned that lesson the hard way, his sophomore year.

Yep, everything was basically perfect for Arthur. He had plenty of friends, a great lifestyle, and, not that it mattered much to him, he could sleep with any girl in the school. He didn't, though. 

Arthur stood up from his desk, stretching. He wanted to go outside, do something product, active. He knew he couldn't, though. His father would have a fit if he left the house to have some fun. He never really approved of it, always saying his studies and modeling career were more important. The only time he allowed Arthur to enjoy himself was during soccer (football) season, and that was only for a quarter of the year. He was captain of the team, which meant he was allowed to practice soccer more than he would have been able to normally, which he loved. Soccer was his one of many passions, but it was a favorite. As was history. he didn't particularly know why he enjoyed the subject so much, he just did. His father told him that his mother named him after the Great King Arthur. Those sorts of legends always fascinated him, even as a child.

"Arthur," Natalia's voice came from behind him, and he turned to see her standing in the doorway of his bedroom. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, as it always was, and she was wearing the same blouse and skirt as she always did, as well. Arthur raised an eyebrow to her in greeting. "your father would like to speak to you in his office." 

Arthur sighed. Surely he hadn't found something else for him to do, so late in the afternoon? It was almost three, what could he want Arthur for?

"Thank you, Natalia. I will be there in a moment," Arthur said, turning away from the young women. She was older than he was, by far, but younger than his father. She had practically grown up with Arthur, acting as a sort of mother to him. He knew his mother had died when he was born, but Natalia was the only motherly figure he had in his life. He appreciated her, for always being there for him when his father wasn't.

"Please hurry, he is in a grumpy mood today." the light-haired women gave him the smallest of smiles, before turning and leaving the room, his bedroom door sliding shut behind her. Arthur ran a hand through his hair. Quickly putting his english assignment away, he rushed out of the door of his bedroom and into the hall. His house wasn't really a house, but a mansion. It was one of those that had the large, shining gates, and long driveways. He always thought of it as a castle, secretly pretending it was King Arthur's.

Nowadays, he only thought of it as a prison. Sure, he wasn't confined to his room, he could leave whenever he wanted. But it wasn't the same as the other kids at his school. They could go out and  _do_ things together, instead of sitting in their room's and waiting for their father's to tell them what they were doing that day.

Arthur knocked twice on his father's office door, waiting for the 'enter' to sound from inside before opening it and stepping into the room.

It was painted white, and it was almost so neat you would think no one had stepped inside it in years. A large, crystal chandelier hung from the high ceiling, and a large window that took up most of the wall and went from the floor to the ceiling was behind a shiny, wooden desk. Sitting in the chair behind the desk, was his father, Uther Pendragon. 

"Father," Arthur nodded once, the only greeting he would give to his father. It wasn't that he didn't love him, of course he did. It was just extremely difficult to get Uther Pendragon to show emotion, much less greet him.

"Sit," his father instructed. Arthur did just that, watching as his father's hand went back and forth over a piece of paper. He appeared to be writing something important. Arthur knew better than to interrupt his father, he knew to wait for his father to address him, and not the other way around. 

That didn't mean he couldn't hate the fact that his father wouldn't even look up at his only son. Finally, after many minutes of the two sitting in silence, the only sound being his father's pen scratching words onto the paper, his father set the pen down and neatly folded his hands on the top of his desk, meeting Arthur's gaze. Arthur stared at his father, waiting for what he had to say.

"Your coach called me today," his father started, and Arthur could already tell he was in trouble, even though the tone of his fathers voice seemed calm.

"Oh?" Arthur tried to seem calm, disinterested. 

"He said that you were not eligible to play in the game this weekend." his father's tone dropped, and Arthur tried to keep his voice steady.

"Why?" he asked. His hands were slightly shaking, but he clenched them to hide it.

"He said," Arthur's father began, "that you had failed your math test. Arthur, you know this is unacceptable. I expect A's, not F's."

"I know father. I'm sorry. I studied, but I just didn't understand the material." Arthur said defensively. His father waved his hand, dismissing his excuse.

"You know the deal, Arthur. From this point onward until the end of the year when you graduate, you are grounded. If there is another failed test score, or anything below an A after today, I will send you to live with your uncle. Is that understood?" 

"But father! That's ridiculous! Its only october!" Arthur yelled, but Uther would not hear it.

"Go to your room, do not come out until dinner. You may continue to do soccer, but once the season is over, you will stay here, in your room, until you graduate." Arthur stood, glaring at his father.

"You cannot expect me to be perfect all the time, father." Arthur growled. He turned and started walking towards the door. He was about to open it to leave when he turned back around slightly and said; "you cannot expect me to be like my mother." he heard his father slam his pen down on the desk, but opened the door and walked out of the room before he had the chance to say a single word to him. He heard his father getting up from his seat behind his desk and walk out into the hall, but Arthur still did not stop walking.

"How dare you!" his father called after him. Arthur ignored him, fueled by the rage burning in his stomach.

When he reached his room, he flung open the door and stormed inside. He was surprised to see a dark haired girl sitting on his bed, staring at him.

"What do you want, Morgana." Arthur said, storming past her and to the window. He leant against the window frame. Outside, a cool breeze was blowing the leaves from the trees.

"I heard you had failed a test, and that Uther was going to punish you. What sort of torture did he hand out this time?" she asked him. Arthur sighed.

"I am grounded from now until the end of the year, when I graduate." he told her. Morgana's eyes flashed.

"That is so unfair. That math test was awful, I failed it too." Morgana gave him a sympathetic look.

"He can't expect you to be perfect all the time, can he?" she said, coming over to the window where he was currently leaning against.

"Apparently," Arthur started, "he can. Its alright, though. I'm used to this now." Arthur sighed. Morgana rested a hand on his shoulder, and Arthur found the touch surprisingly comforting.

"It still isn't fair." she said. Arthur shrugged, moving away from the window.

"Don't you have some sort of art class to go to?" he asked her. Morgana smiled.

"I figured I could be late to it to comfort my adopted brother, can't I?" she said. Arthur smiled at her.

"Careful, if you're late to often Uther will punish you too." they both laughed, and Arthur felt the anger that had gripped him earlier was starting to dwindle.

"I should go," Morgana said, leaving Arthur alone with his thoughts. He sighed, flopping back onto his bead and staring at the white ceiling of his room. 

Maybe, if he did exceptionally well for the next couple weeks, his father would lower the punishment. Maybe. 

The chances of that were slim, but at this point, Arthur would try anything.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur's day at school doesn't exactly go to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> K so I know its been a long time since I've updated but I have had a lot of shit going on. I started working again, I had to pull my grade in math up cause it was failing, and then there were a bunch of other things that got in the way as well. Either way, I'm sorry. I will try to update more in the future!

Arthur awoke with a start. His hair was plastered to his forehead from sweat, his covers were twisted around his legs. He sat up and looked around him. He was in his room, on his bed. He didn't even remember falling asleep! 

Events from the previous day started rolling around in his head, and he clenched a fist in anger. His father was so unreasonable. It was just one test! Untangling himself from his covers, he made his way over to his bathroom.

The walls were painted white, with baby blue tiling going around the perimeter of the room. A large bathtub was in one corner, and a shower in the other. Along one wall was a countertop with two sinks. Large, intricate mirrors were hanging on the wall. Sighing, Arthur walked to the shower and turned it on. Undressing, he stepped into the shower and let the warm water run down his face and shoulders, shutting his eyes.

When he finished his shower, he got dressed in a dark blue t-shirt with a white plaid flannel, and a pair of dark blue jeans. He quickly towel-dried his hair, and left the still-steaming bathroom. Grabbing his phone, school bag, and earphones, he left his bedroom. Morgana passed him in the hallway.

"See you in history," he called after the dark-haired girl, who only hummed in response. Arthur left the house, humming a soft tune as he walked down the street. It was only seven-thirty, so it wasn't to busy. The only traffic was buses, and even they were scarcely seen at this time. As he got closer to the school, he could hear students shouting and running about on the front lawn, where most students gathered during lunch or before school. Some, when they had a free period, spent it there, if they were eligible. Not many were, though. 

There were students everywhere, seated on the grass and at the various tables loitered about the lawn. Some were throwing a baseball around, others were talking, others doing homework. Arthur spotted someone waving him over, so he went to the crowded table. Seated there were a few of his team mates, as well as friends. Gwaine, the goalie, smiled at Arthur as he sat himself beside Percival and Lancelot.

"Heard you can't play this weekend," Gwaine said, as Arthur got situated. He snorted. "I bet your dad wasn't pleased."

"Not in the slightest," Arthur commented, giving Gwaine a half-smile. Percival slapped him on the back.

"Thats alright mate, next weekend you'll be in the game anyway. Plus, theres always the practices." Arthur nodded, but didn't say anything. He looked up at as a boy walked by there table. 

The boy was tall, taller than Arthur it seemed. He wore a brown leather jacket, seemingly falling apart, and a blue shirt underneath. His hair was a dark brown mess on his head. When the boy's gaze met Arthur's, his eyes appeared to pierce through Arthur, taking in everything there was to take in. Arthur stared, and the boy stared right back. His blue eyes were captivating, appearing almost gem-like in the sunlight. Finally, Arthur shook himself free of the gaze, and looked away. When he looked back, the boy had vanished. 

Puzzled, Arthur turned to Lancelot and asked; "Who was that?" Lancelot gave him a quizzical look.

"Who?" Arthur looked around. Had no one else seen him? He supposed he could have been the only one, seeing as everyone else was caught up in there discussion about football. Frowning, he turned back to Lancelot.

"Nothing. I saw a boy, or, thought I did. I don't know." Arthur shook his head, confusing himself. Lancelot gave him another confused look, a smile on his face.

"Are you alright? Do you have a fever or something?" The dark-haired boy asked. Arthur shook his head again.

"No, I'm fine." the rest of the morning was uneventful, aside from Gwaine making a bet with Leon about the outcome of the game this weekend.

"You're going to still be there, right?" Lancelot asked Arthur, as they were walking to their respective classes. Arthur nodded. "Of course I am, you dolt." 

He arrived at his first class: history. Arthur loved history, it was his favorite subject. He especially liked the legends. As he took his seat, he saw the same blue-eyed boy from earlier, walking into the classroom. He walked by Arthur, all the way to the back of the classroom, where he took a seat at one of the desks. Arthur turned away from him. 

Next entered Morgana, who, as she always did, had three or four boys following her, asking her to go on a date or to see if she wanted them to do her homework. As she took a seat next to Arthur, he grinned at her.

"Shut up, Arthur. You have plenty of girls fawning over you," she snapped at him, although a playful smirk tugged at her lips. Arthur just grinned, keeping his mouth shut as the boys left for their own class. The teacher entered as everyone else filed in, taking a seat behind his desk. He stared out at the awaiting students, his face set in an unreadable expression.

"Today we will be preparing to do our projects," he started, "and I will be pairing you off. We will be working on legends, which I hope you will all find interesting. Now," Mr. Dubman looked at each student in turn, lingering a few seconds longer on Arthur. Arthur resisted the urge to squirm.

"Colin and Marc, you will be partners." And so it went, Mr. Dubman listing off the partners. When he got to Morgana, he paused. And then; "Morgana and Ethel." Arthur's stomach dropped. They were  _always_ partners, why was Mr. Dubman changing it now? He gave Morgana a polite nod, and she went to be with her partner. Arthur looked around. No one was left.

"Arthur and Merlin." Arthur looked around again, and his gaze fell on the messy-haired boy from before. They stared at each other for a moment, before the boy got up and moved to sit beside Arthur.

"So," he began, "I guess we're partners." Arthur nodded.

"I guess we are." 

 

The rest of the day went by in a blurr. By the time the bell rang, signaling last period was over, Arthur was ready to take out his frustrations from the day on the field.

"Alright, everyone do laps, and then we'll get started." Arthur instructed his team. He took up the front of the two lines, setting the pace. When they finished the laps, everyone split off into the teams they were assigned and, after a quick talk from the coach, started practice. They ran through their plays, encouraging each other when a good shot was taken, and scolding them when they messed up. 

By the end of practice, Arthur was tired, sweaty, and starving. He took a large swig of his water before calling the team over. After a quick discussion, the team dispersed to their separate vehicles, or, for some, started walking. Arthur was one of the ones who walked. He said goodbye to his team mates and headed home.

When he got there, he was greeted by Natalia, who was waiting by the door.

"You have a model shoot tonight at six." she informed him. He grunted in response, heading up the large staircase to his room. He immediately got into the shower, determined to wash the filth of practice off of him before the shoot. When he finished his shower it was only 4:43, so he decided to get some homework done beforehand. He started his math worksheet, and when he finished that, started on his english homework. Halfway through the vocab worksheet, he heard his phone buzzing on his side table. He got up from his seat at his desk, and walked to his phone. He didn't recognize the number flashing on the screen, so he chose not to answer it. A few moments later, the call went to voicemail. About to return to his desk, he felt the phone buzz in his hand again, notifying him of a text. Curious, he unlocked his phone, to see a text from the mysterious number that had called him. The text read:  _Hello Arthur_

Arthur stared down at the text in confusion. Who was this? He typed his response into the phone and hit send:  _Who is this?_

A few moments later, his phone buzzed with a reply.

_Merlin_

Typing furiously on his phone, he sat on the edge of his bed.

_How did you get my number?_ He replied. He waited impatiently for a reply.

_My friend Gwen gave it to me. She said her friend Morgana was your sister or something._

Arthur sighed. He should have guessed. 

_What is it you want? I'm kind of busy right now._

It wasn't a lie, he was rather busy. 

_Just wanted to let you know that I had your number now, since we're partners and all._

Arthur sighed. He set his phone down, done with the texting conversation. He ran a hand through his hair, and almost jumped when Natalia opened his bedroom door.

"Arthur? It's time to go." she told him.

"Coming." he replied, grabbing his phone and shoving it into his jeans pocket. Following Natalia out the door of the mansion, he climbed into the limo and stared out the window, his mind reeling.

 

Later that night, he laid alone in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Who was this Merlin? He had never seen him before, and he didn't seem the friendly type. His thoughts kept wandering back to the dark haired boy, no matter how he tried to distract himself from it.

"God above," he murmured, rolling onto his side. He had to get control of himself, he has more important things to do than worry about some boy from history class.

Closing his eyes, he finally managed to fall asleep, letting his dreams distract him from the days events.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Merlin begin work on their project.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so tired. And I start work again this weekend. Aghhhh.

Arthur frowned, drumming his fingers on the top of the wooden table. Where  _was_ he? Arthur glanced at the silver watch on his wrist. The time read 4:18. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair. He had been waiting for an hour now, and still no sign of the dark haired boy. Arthur wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or to angry. Both seemed reasonable to him.

The library smelled of old books, and old coffee from the various stains littered about the large room from countless spilt cups of coffee. He groaned. How much longer would he wait for this boy? He had a modeling shoot to go to, if he was late his father would kill him.

The library doors opened, and Merlin walked in. He seemed in no hurry, even calm, as he walked over to where Arthur was seated. Arthur's frown deepened.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" he growled. Merlin just shrugged. Oh, he was pushing it.

"I had more important things to do," Merlin said, sitting in the chair across from Arthur. The two boys stared at each other for a long time, neither one moving. Finally, Arthur broke the silence.

"I have a modeling shoot in an hour, so we have a little while to work on the project. What legend do you want to do?" he asked Merlin, who seemed to not care that the blond was speaking.

"How about," he began, tracing circular patterns on the tabletop, "the legend of King Arthur?" Arthur laughed. 

"Seriously?" he asked the boy. Merlin glanced up at him, blue eyes holding his as he said; "Deadly." 

Arthur leaned back in his chair, the two front legs leaving the carpeted floor of the library. He sat, considering.

"Fine, as long as we get it done I don't care what we do," he said. He grabbed his laptop from his bag, and pulled up Chrome.

 

After forty minutes of them researching King Arthur, Arthur stood.

"I need to go. Same time tomorrow?" he said, and Merlin shrugged.

"Sure."

He left the library, not bothering to glance back before walking out of the double doors. He walked outside to his fathers limo, climbed inside, and headed to the modeling shoot, pretending to listen to Natalia's rambling.

 

When he got home, he immediately went to his room and started on his homework: he had lots of it, after all. Two hours later, he sat at his desk, his hand cramped from holding a pencil for so long, a headache forming. He stood, stretching, and went into the bathroom in search of some ibuprofen. He found some in one of the small cupboards on the wall, and downed them dry. Going back into hid bedroom, he flopped onto his bed, and eventually, fell asleep.

 

He awoke to someone shaking him.

"Arthur, Arthur wake up. Your father is waiting for you," he heard Natalia say, and he groaned. Rolling over, he blinked a few times.

"What time is it?" he asked sleepily.

"Seven-thirty." he heard. Sighing, he climbed off his bed and quickly fixed his hair before heading out of his room. He heard Natalia walking a little ways behind him. As he went down the stairs, he heard Morgana and his father talking in the dining room. They both stopped talking when he entered, and Morgana looked down at her plate. Arthur realized, from their sudden silence, they were talking about him.

"Arthur," his father greeted, as he sat down at the large table. A plate of chicken and potatoes was set in front of him, though Arthur felt hardly hungry. He just wanted to  _sleep_.

"How was your day?" his father asked, and it took Arthur a moment to realize the question was directed at him.

"Fine," he answered, cutting into a piece of chicken. He ate quietly, acutely aware of the other two's eyes on him.

"You didn't go to practice today," his father commented. Arthur resisted the urge to groan.  _Here we go._

"I had to work on a school project, for history." he said. Moments passed before his father spoke, and then; "I told you you were grounded, and were only allowed to practice and school, that was it." Arthur looked up at his father, trying to read his expression. It was pointless.

"I was in the library, with my partner. We were working the entire time, I swear it." he said. His father sighed.

"Arthur, I told you only practice and school. No where else. You broke my rules already." Arthur bit his lip.

"I'm sorry, father. I won't do it again."

"How do I know you aren't lying, Arthur?" his father said. Arthur stared at him in shock. His father had never doubted him before, why was he doing so now?

"I'm not, I swear it. I was working on a project." Arthur defended. 

"Who is your partner?" his father asked.

"Merlin."

"Merlin who?"

"I don't know," Arthur said. His father sighed.

"It's true Uther. Mr. Dubman assigned them as partners this time, and me with someone else." Morgana said. Arthur shot her a grateful glance.

"Fine. See that it doesn't happen again, Arthur, or next time I won't believe you." his father said. 

"Yes, father." the rest of dinner was uneventful, and as Arthur went into his room, he sat on his bed, thankful for the solitude. His father was ridiculous sometimes.

A soft knock was heard at his bedroom door.

"Come in," he called, and in stepped Morgana.

"Morgana, thank you for defending me. Father has always been-"

"Narrow-minded?" Morgana interrupted. Arthur nodded.

"It was nothing. I would never leave you to the mercy of Uther, at least not for something as silly as that." they stared in silence for a moment, and then Morgana took a deep breath and smiled at him.

"I should be getting to bed, goodnight Arthur." she said, and Arthur bid her goodnight as she left his room, shutting the door behind her. He laid back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Today had been awful, and he was certain it wouldn't be the last time his father decided to act unreasonably about something as silly as a school project. 

Sighing, he shut his eyes, already dreading tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week has passed since Arthur and Merlin were assigned their project, and they still haven't made any progress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am super tired but really wanna write stuff tonight so heres another chapter lmao

"Hurry up mate, we don't have all day!" Gwaine called to Arthur. Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes at the long-haired male. They were on their way to practice, and Gwaine was especially eager to be there, for a reason Arthur hadn't been able to guess. Then again, he didn't really try very hard  _to_ guess it. 

"I'm coming, I'm coming." he called after him. They reached the soccer field, where most of the team was already practicing. Arthur and Gwaine went into the locker rooms to change and then jogged out onto the field.

"Alright boys, this weekend I can actually play so lets make sure we practice plenty so we can kick ass. Sound good?" the team nodded, some voicing their enthusiasm, others just nodding. Arthur instructed them to jog around the field twice, as a warm up, before they began practicing their plays.

"Alright, that was good. Watch your footing, though. You almost slipped," Arthur called to Lancelot when he had scored. Gwaine scowled, obviously upset that Lancelot had managed to score.

"You're doing good, everyone. But lets see if we can step it up a bit," Arthur said, getting into his place on the field. When he shouted go, everyone moved. Arthur quickly found open ground and, seeing Percival with the ball, called out to him.

"Percival! Over here!" Percival swung his head in Arthur's direction and, upon seeing him, kicked the ball towards him. Arthur stopped it easily with his foot, and dribbled it down the field. 

Lancelot and Leon ran at him, both determined to stop him. He side-stepped Lancelot, sending him crashing to the ground. He passed the ball to Percival, who kicked the ball into the goal.

"Way to go, Percival!" Arthur congratulated him, smiling. Lancelot stood, rubbing dirt from his uniform and grinning.

"That was well played, Arthur." he said, and Arthur could only grin in response.

The rest of the practice went smoothly, Percival scoring twice more, and each time, Gwaine swearing. After practice, Arthur talked with his team for a minute before changing and heading towards his house. 

"I'm home!" he called, but got no answer. Good, he didn't feel like talking to anyone anyway. Going upstairs to his room, he set his stuff down and sat in his desk chair, sighing. Practice had worn him out, and now, he just wanted to relax.

Of course, his father had other plans.

"Arthur? Are you in here?" Natalia asked from outside of his bedroom door. He groaned.

"Yeah," he called. A moment later, Natalia appeared from the doorway, a clipboard in her hand.

"Your father has asked me to tell you to meet him downstairs, he wants to talk with you." she said. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"He always does," he stood, not bothering to thank Natalia before going downstairs.

"You wanted to see me?" he said, entering the grand living room. His father stood in front of one of the large windows overlooking the yard, his back facing Arthur.

"Take a seat," his father said. Knowing where this was going, Arthur steeled himself, preparing for the worst. Once he was seated, his father began speaking.

"I want to talk to you about school," his father began. "Do you know what you want to do once you are out of school?" he asked. Arthur sat, silent, unsure of how to answer.

"I take that as a no." his father turned to him.

"I want you to take over my company, which means you will need to go to school for business. You are heir to the company, after all."

"But father!" Arthur protested, only to be silenced by his father's glare.

"No buts. You will take over, and go to school for business. Am I clear?" Arthur clenched his fist.

"You can't be serious," he said, his temper snapping. His father raised an eyebrow.

"I want to go to school for what  _I_ want to do, not what  _you_ want me to do." he said. 

"I am your father, you do what I tell you to." Arthur shook his head.

"No, father. I won't." Uther's eyes flashed.

"You  _will_ , or I will lock you in your room for the rest of your life." Arthur laughed.

"Go ahead. I don't care. Let Morgana take over, I'm sure she'd love to," he said. He turned around, walking away from his father.

"Arthur. Arthur, do not walk away from me." his father growled, but Arthur ignored him. He went upstairs again, and locked himself in his room. 

He groaned in frustration, punching the wall next to his door frame. A gaping hole was left where his fist had been. His knuckles were bleeding, but he didn't care. He just wanted to  _leave_. He was so tired of his father deciding everything for him, making his life a living hell. What was the point? 

After Arthur had calmed down a bit, he looked down at his hand. Blood was dripping from his knuckles. Sighing, he ran his other hand through his hair. Going into the bathroom, he cleaned his knuckles and bandaged them, and then returned to his bedroom, where he laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

 

The next day, Arthur sat in his history class, his mind wandering.

"-and I thought it was pretty interesting." he heard Merlin finish. He looked up at the dark-haired boy, who was staring at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear all of that." Arthur said. Merlin snorted, leaning back in his chair. 

"First you come in with a bandaged hand, and now you aren't even paying attention. That isn't the Arthur I've heard so much about." Merlin said. Arthur didn't say anything. Merlin stared at him for a long time, and Arthur let him. He didn't really care, he was to distracted with his own problems to care about anything.

"Maybe we should just meet another time." Merlin said. Arthur shrugged. 

When class ended, Merlin got up, not saying a word to Arthur, and left. Arthur didn't move, he didn't want to.

"Arthur, are you coming?" Morgana called. She was standing in the doorway of the classroom, waiting for him. Reluctantly, Arthur stood, and followed her out of the classroom.

The rest of the day seemed to go by in a blurr, nothing standing out to him. By the time he got home, he was so tired he just wanted to sleep. He went up the staircase, his legs sore from practice, and went into his room. He threw his school things down on the floor beside the bed, and flopped onto the bed, letting the soft sheets envelope him. 

His peace only lasted for a little while, though, because Natalia came into his room.

"Your father wants to see you," she said. Arthur sighed.

"Tell him I don't want to see him," he said. Natalia gave him a sympathetic look. The sympathy turned to shock as she saw the hole in his wall.

"How did this happen?" she asked, startled. Arthur looked over at her gaping face, to the hole in the wall, then back to the ceiling.

"I got angry," was all he said. He knew Natalia was trying not to scold him, by the way she was shuffling her feet. She always did that when she was nervous.

"What should I tell your father?" she asked finally.

"Tell him," Arthur began, "that if I will not speak to him until he stops being such a dick." 

"Arthur!" Natalia said, shocked. 

"I will not say that to your father." she left, shutting the door behind her, and Arthur resumed staring at his ceiling, ignoring the world around him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Merlin meet at Merlin's house to work on the project.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am probably going to be posting a lot of chapters for this fic tonight, so be warned.

It has been two days since Arthur's fight with his father, and he still hasn't spoken to him. Arthur was content to wait forever, if he had to. 

He sat at one of the outdoor tables, playing with a loose thread on his jacket. It was still september, but it was chilly. Arthur was ready for spring already.

"There you are," Morgana said from behind him. Arthur didn't turn to look at her as she sat beside him, her skirt billowing in the breeze.

"Hows your project going?" she asked him. Arthur shrugged.

"Merlin hasn't been around very much, he seems to show up only when he wants to, and not when he needs to." Arthur commented. Morgana nodded.

"Well, he does have that sort of reputation." she said. Arthur looked up at her, a confused expression on his face.

"What reputation?" he asked her. Morgana's eyebrows furrowed.

"You don't know?" when Arthur shook his head, she began explaining.

"Apparently, his mother couldn't afford to take care of him, so she sent him off to live with a friend of hers. He lives in a house, just the two of them. He never does his school work, never shows up to class. Its like he just doesn't care." 

"I heard he has to go to counseling or something, too." she added. Arthur bit his lip, thinking. Merlin seemed so down-to-earth to Arthur, he couldn't believe he was that troubled.

"Are you sure we're talking about the same Merlin?" he asked. Morgana nodded.

"He just seems so distant," Arthur grunted in agreement.

 

Later that day, Arthur sat in the school library, typing on his computer, when he got a text from Merlin. It read:  _Can't make it today._

Sighing in frustration, Arthur slammed his laptop lid shut, and shoved it into his backpack. Leaving the library, he went to Mr. Dubman's room.

"Arthur, what can I do for you?" Mr. Dubman greeted, folding his hands on top of his desk. Arthur frowned.

"Can I have a new partner?" he asked. Mr. Dubman stared in shock for a moment, before composing himself.

"What for?" he asked. Arthur went on to list the reasons why, and Mr. Dubman sat and listened intently. When he was done, Mr. Dubman took his glasses off, holding them in his hand.

"Arthur, I can't reassign partners. Everyone already has one," Arthur sighed.

"And even if they didn't I wouldn't let you. I think you and Merlin make an excellent pair, especially for a history project. You two are both outstanding in history."

"But he's never here! How can he be good at history if he isn't even here to see the lessons?" Arthur asked. Mr. Dubman sighed.

"Merlin is a very extraordinary student Arthur, he's very good at what he does. Even if he isn't here. I will not be assigning you a new partner, I'm afraid you'll just have to make do." Arthur frowned, but didn't argue. He said goodbye to his teacher before leaving the classroom, and walking home.

 

The next day, Arthur sat alone on the lawn, twisting a piece of grass between his fingers, deep in thought. A voice to the right of him made him look up.

"Hello Arthur," Merlin greeted. Arthur looked the other boy up and down. His hair was a dark brown mess on his head, his blue eyes standing out against the dark color. He wore jeans and a red t-shirt today, no jacket, despite the cold. Frowning, Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"Where in the hell have you been?" he asked. Merlin grinned.

"That's no way to greet your partner," he said, sitting down in the grass beside Arthur. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I had to do something," Merlin said after a moment. Arthur snorted, but didn't say anything.

"Are we going to work on the project or what?" Merlin asked, and Arthur sighed. Standing, they went to a table, setting their things down and then seating themselves.

Two hours later, they started to clean their things up, packing everything away. Arthur was pleased with the progress they had made, their project was coming along nicely. 

"Hey Arthur," Merlin said, and Arthur looked up from his backpack.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to come to my place for a bit? We can work on the project more, and maybe get to know each other a bit too." Arthur blanched, unsure of what to say. Merlin wanted him to come to his house? To get to know each other? 

"Sure," Arthur said, mind reeling. He frowned. His father wouldn't be pleased, but then again, Arthur realized he didn't care. He followed the other boy to his house, both of them chatting as they did so.

"So you are really into soccer huh?" Merlin said. Arthur nodded.

"Thats hot," Arthur's head snapped to the side, and he stared at Merlin with wide eyes. Had he really just said that?

"I mean, I love guys who can play. Especially if they're good at it," Merlin continued. Arthur's face turned red, and he tried to hide his blush. Normally he was the one to say those sorts of things, to girls. But Merlin was just... _different_. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

"Here we are," Merlin lead him up a small gravel path, leading to a bright red door. The house itself was painted blue, and Arthur found himself staring at the beautiful sight of the outside of the house. Merlin lead him inside. The entryway had a coatrack, a small bench, and a plush, tan rug on a nice wooden floor. Arthur took off his shoes, setting them neatly by the bench, and followed Merlin further into the house.

They went into the kitchen, and then through the kitchen to a living room. The living room had a single grey couch, with an average sized t.v. mounted on the wall across from it. A window overlooking the backyard was to the left, and dark brown wooden coffee table was in front of the couch. Merlin sat on the couch, seeming to relax into the cushions. Arthur sat as well, though couldn't help himself from looking around further. Merlin apparently noticed his staring, because he said; "Have you never seen a living room before?" Arthur blushed but didn't say anything.

"So," began Merlin, "what do you want to talk about?" 

"I don't care, anything." Arthur said. Merlin considered him for a moment.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Arthur was caught off guard by the question, and he sensed Merlin could tell that he was surprised.

"No," he said. Merlin raised his eyebrows in surprise. 

"Really? What about a boyfriend?" Arthur shook his head. Merlin leaned back into the couch, staring. Arthur become uncomfortable under his gaze.

"The famous Arthur Pendragon, male model and devilishly handsome captain of the soccer team doesn't have a girlfriend  _or_ boyfriend. I find that hard to believe," Arthur looked away from the dark haired boy.

"Well what about you?" he said, defensively. "Do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend?" Merlin chuckled.

"Nope, and I don't want one either. To much work," he said. Arthur stared at the floor, studying the intricate pattern of the rug.

"You know, you're awfully awkward for a model." Merlin commented. Arthur laughed, unable to hold it back.

"Yeah, I suppose I am." he said. Merlin flashed him a grin, his blue eyes sparkling. Arthur felt captivated by them, he didn't want to look away. 

"We could watch a movie," suggested Merlin. Arthur, shaken from his thoughts, blinked for a moment before answering.

"Sure," as Merlin searched for a movie, Arthur sat, deep in thought. Merlin was so different, he was used to Lancelot and Gwaine. Merlin seemed to know just what to say to unnerve him. He found he didn't mind, not really. 

"Here we go," Merlin hit play on the movie he selected, some sort of Marvel movie, and Arthur leaned back against the couch cushions. Merlin seemed to find the movie entertaining, but Arthur was to distracted by his own thoughts to pay attention. By the time the movie had ended, he realized he hadn't even paid attention to anything, least of all the time.

"Shit," he muttered, grabbing his backpack.

"Whats the matter?" Merlin asked him. Arthur shook his head, quietly arguing with himself.

"My father is going to kill me, thats whats the matter." he said. He threw his backpack over his shoulder and headed towards the door. Before he could get past the kitchen, however, Merlin grabbed his wrist.

"Thank you," the other boy said, and Arthur found himself suddenly not wanting to leave.

"I didn't do anything," he said. Before Merlin could say anything else, he put his shoes on and charged out of the house, intent on getting home as soon as possible. The entire way home, however, his thoughts raced. For some reason, Merlin seemed to affect him in ways he had never experienced. He liked it, Arthur decided. It was a nice change.

When he arrived home, he slipped upstairs to his bedroom and collapsed on the bed. It was past nine at night, and he knew his father would have an earful for him tomorrow for being home so late. Arthur didn't care. He didn't bother to change out of his clothes before falling asleep, thoughts of Merlin swirling around inside his head.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Merlin share a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so freaking tired y'all. Like really. I need to sleep

Arthur sat at his desk, the only source of light in the room being the lamp on his side table. His pen moved across the page of his english homework, his handwriting scrawled across the page. It was past midnight, and Arthur was exhausted. He wanted to sleep, but couldn't. His homework came first.

Yawning, he set his pen down as he stretched his arms above his head. 

A tapping to his right startled him, causing him to look around. The tapping noise came again, this time a little louder. He looked to his right, only to be greeted by a grinning Merlin on his window. He stared at the other boy in shock for a moment, before going over to the window and opening it. As Merlin grinned at him, Arthur blinked.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. Merlin shrugged.

"Got bored," was all the dark haired boy said, turning and walking to the edge of the roof he was on.

"Well? Are you coming out or not?" Merlin asked, looking at Arthur over his shoulder. After a few minutes of consideration and uncertainty, Arthur clambered out of the window and onto the rooftop. He sat beside Merlin on the edge, overlooking Arthur's front yard.

"Nice place you've got," Merlin said to him. Arthur shrugged. He was still confused as to why Merlin was here.

"I wish I lived in a place as fancy as this. It's huge," again, Arthur shrugged. Merlin glanced at him curiously.

"You alright?" Arthur looked over at him then.

"Yeah," was all he said, as he stared at the dark haired boy. Merlin stared right back. It was several moments before either of them blinked, and when they did, Arthur looked away, out over the yard below.

"So, I know about your dad. What about your mum?" Arthur heaved a sigh, absent-mindedly playing with a thread on his jeans.

"She died giving birth to me," Merlin was silent, and Arthur was half sure that he would leave, when he said; "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," Arthur murmured. The two boys sat in silence for a while, and Arthur found that the silence was rather comforting. Or was it Merlin's presence? Arthur couldn't tell.

"Want to play a game?" Merlin asked. Arthur glanced at him curiously.

"What game?"

"We each take turns asking a question, and you have to answer truthfully." Arthur considered the thought for a moment, before agreeing.

"You go first," he said to Merlin, who was looking at the lawn below.

"How old are you?" Merlin asked.

"Eighteen,"  _this is easy._ Arthur thought, almost smiling to himself.

"Your go," Merlin said. Arthur thought for a moment.

"What's your favorite song?" Merlin didn't answer at first, instead, he chewed the inside of his cheek while seeming to think.

"Clarity by Zedd." he said finally. Arthur raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"What?" Merlin asked. Arthur just smiled.

"That's my favorite, too. Weird." Merlin didn't answer. 

"What's your favorite tv show?" Merlin asked. Arthur shrugged.

"Don't have one," now it was Merlin's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"What do you mean you don't have one?"

"I just don't watch tv. I don't have time for it," Merlin laughed.

"What?" he asked sheepishly, but Merlin just continued to laugh.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You literally don't watch tv? At all?" when Arthur shook his head, Merlin continued to laugh. 

"Its not funny," Arthur said, but Merlin ignored him. Once the dark haired boy had calmed down, Arthur asked his next question.

"Why did you want to play this game?" Merlin smirked.

"I wanted to get to know you better," Arthur blinked in surprise. That was not the answer he was expecting.

"Why?" he found himself asking, even though he had already asked his question.

"Ah ah, you only get one question. Two is against the rules. Wait 'till your next turn to ask." Merlin said, grinning. Arthur sighed.

"Fine," he said.

"Have you ever kissed anyone?" Merlin asked him. Arthur shook his head.

"No, I don't really care about that." he said. Merlin nodded, seeming to understand.

"Now answer my question," he said. Merlin smiled.

"Because," started the other boy, "I find you fascinating." Arthur stared at the boy, once again, feeling confused by him.

"Your turn," he said, shoving Merlin's answer into the back of his mind for later.

"Do you want to?" Arthur's confusion must have been written on his face because, after a moment, Merlin said; "kiss someone, I mean."

The question surprised Arthur, though he supposed it shouldn't have. All of Merlin's questions were strange. Merlin himself was strange. He was different, and Arthur found it strangely appealing.

"Maybe? I don't know," he said, "it depends on who I would be kissing." he yawned, his tiredness causing his body to ache.

"Am I keeping you up?" Merlin asked him. Arthur shook his head, but was interrupted by another yawn.

"I think you should get some sleep. You have your game tomorrow, don't you?" he said. Arthur nodded.

"I'll talk to you later," before Arthur could argue, Merlin climbed down from the rooftop, slipping away quietly into the night. Arthur climbed back inside his window, shutting it, and changed into his pajamas before climbing into bed. He didn't need to wait long before sleep dragged him into his dreams.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin and Arthur get trapped in a closet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally so tired rn

Arthur wiped the sweat off of his forehead, jogging back to his place on the field. He was so tired, but he needed to keep going. They were tied, and there was only two minutes left in the game.

"Come on guys, we can do this." he called to his team. He could tell they were tired too. The whistle sounded and they all started moving again. Percival ran down the field, cutting to open space, and Arthur followed suit. Lancelot passed to Percival, who ran down the field, the ball being kicked in front of him. Just as he was about to pass, a player from the other team slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. 

As the whistle blew, Arthur jogged over to his fallen team mate.

"Percival, are you alright?" he asked. Percival stood, nodding. Arthur glanced concerned at the couch.

"Sub him out, get Leon in here." Arthur instructed, to which his coach nodded. Within moments they were playing again.

One minute on the clock.

Arthur watched the ball like a hawk, waiting for someone on the other team to slip up. His eyes fell on a dark haired boy in the stands, seeming to watch his every move.  _Merlin_.

Thirty seconds on the clock.

"Arthur!" Lancelot yelled, passing the ball to him. Arthur dribbled the ball down the field, ignoring everything around him, blocking out all sound. People were shouting around him, but he paid no mind to them. For some reason, Merlin seemed upset. He was frowning, watching as Arthur dribbled the ball down the field.

Five seconds on the clock.

He kicked the ball, and it sailed past the Gwaine, who fell on his stomach. 

"Arthur what the hell are you doing?" his coach shouted. Looking around in confusion, he realized his mistake.

He had kicked the ball into his own teams goal. The other team was shouting, jumping up and down in celebration.

"Arthur, what happened? You seemed distracted," Lancelot asked him. Arthur shook his head, and searched the stands for Merlin.

He was gone.

Feeling more disappointed than he expected, he slowly trudged to the locker rooms to change.

 

The next day, Arthur was walking down the hall at school when he heard his name being called.

"Arthur, wait up!" he turned slightly, to see Merlin running up to him.

"What happened at the game yesterday?" Merlin asked him. Arthur frowned. He had already received a very loud, angry lecture from his father about it, he didn't need the whole school asking him what happened, too.

"Nothing," he said, "just got distracted." Merlin appeared as though he would say something, then suddenly, grabbed Arthur's sweatshirt and dragged him into a closet. As Merlin shut the door behind him, Arthur frowned.

"What the hell?" he asked, but Merlin just shushed him.

"She can't see me. If she sees me, I'm dead." he said. Arthur gave him a confused look.

"Who?"

"Olivia," Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"Olivia? Whats wrong with her?"

"Nothing, she just hates me." Merlin said. Arthur snorted. They waited quietly in the closet, the minutes ticking by. Arthur sighed. Finally, Merlin seemed to relax.

"She should be gone by now," he said. Arthur nodded.

"Can we leave now?" he asked. Merlin nodded, and reached for the door handle.

"Uh oh," Merlin said, jiggling the door handle.

"Uh oh? What do you mean uh oh?" Merlin turned to look at him.

"The door's stuck." he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. Arthur raised his eyebrows.

"How can it be stuck?" he said. Merlin shrugged.

"Just is," Arthur groaned.

"Great, now I'm stuck in a bloody closet." he leaned back against the wall, his backpack falling to the floor.

"Think of it this way," Merlin began, "you could be dead." Arthur couldn't help it, he laughed. He laughed for what felt like hours, when really it was just minutes. He laughed so hard, he started crying.

"Yeah, I guess thats true." he said, wiping the tears from his eyes. Merlin chuckled too.

"Can I ask you something?" Arthur said. Merlin nodded.

"Do you think I'm a failure?" Merlin seemed taken aback by Arthur's question because, he took a few seconds to answer it.

"No," he said, "why would you ask that?"

Thinking back to the lecture his father had given him about how he had failed and that he was a horrible son, Arthur said; "It feels like it."

The closet was silent, aside from the sounds of the two boys breathing. Arthur was certain that Merlin had fallen asleep or something, because he had seemingly just stopped talking.

"You aren't a failure, Arthur." Merlin said, very quietly. Arthur laughed.

"I wish that were true. Everyone knows I am. Even my own soccer team," he let out another laugh.

"Why were you distracted yesterday? What distracted you?" Merlin asked him. Arthur looked up at the ceiling.

"You," was his reply. He blushed, suddenly realizing what he had just said, and tried to hide his face.

"I shouldn't of said that. Forget I said it. See? I am a failure. I can't even be friendly with someone without ruining it," Arthur covered his face with his hands, groaning in frustration.

"Thats alright," Merlin said, grabbing Arthur's hands and pulling them gently away from his face. " 'cause you distract me too." 

Before Arthur could understand what was happening, Merlin's lips met his. He widened his eyes in surprise, before adjusting. He melted into the kiss, and so did Merlin. Merlin gently let go of Arthur's hands and instead reached up to cup his face, pulling him closer to his body. Arthur's mind was reeling: he was feeling so many things at once he didn't know what to feel. 

After what felt like hours, they pulled away, and Merlin rested his forehead on Arthurs.

"That," Merlin said, breathless, "was amazing." Arthur hummed his agreement.

"Arthur, I need you to understand something." Merlin said, pulling away from him slightly, so that he could see him better.

"I need you to understand that you are not a failure. You are amazing, fascinating, and downright handsome. Don't you ever forget that," the dark haired boy stared down at Arthur. Arthur, a little surprised, realized that Merlin was actually taller than him, by an inch or two. He found he didn't mind.

"Okay," Arthur said, his voice a little raspy. He was unsure of what to do next, so they both just sat on the floor, talking.

Hours later, someone came to the closet, opening the door.

"What are you two doing in here?" a janitor asked them. Arthur blushed, but Merlin just smiled.

"We got stuck, I thought this was the bathroom but it wasn't and then the door stuck. Sorry," Merlin dragged Arthur out of the closet, and out into the yard. 

"I should be getting home," Arthur said. Merlin nodded, smiling.

"I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" he said. Arthur nodded.

"See you," he said, turning away from the other boy and heading towards home.


End file.
